SPORT BAD LD IND 2 LAST

Jwala-Diju had become the first Indian mixed doubles pair
to reach the quarterfinal of the World Badminton Championship
in Hyderabad earlier this month.

They had also won the Bitburger Open and Bulgarian Open
last year.

Meanwhile, Badminton Association of India (BAI) President
VK Verma said, "This is very good news for India. This is the
first time that any doubles pair of India have won a grand
Prix gold event."

"They have been doing well and now with this win they
have catapulted themselves to be one of the Commonwealth Games
medal hopes for the country," he added.

Verma said keeping next year's Commonwealth Games in
view, a number of super series tournaments have been lined up
for the mixed doubles pair.

"They are shaping up well and yesterday we finalised a
training programme for them and they would be sent for a
number of super series tournaments for exposure," he said. PTI